When a mirror is perfectly even and its surface is highly polished, the forms of physical objects reflect within it, though not according to their ultimate, intrinsic reality; but if the surface of the mirror is rusted and tarnished, nothing reflects within it whatsoever.

Allah created spirits from the substances of His wisdom so that, through their essential core, they might find stability in knowing Him. By the subtleties of His craftsmanship, He fashioned them into forms according to the likeness of His own image, and He made the paths of attainment unto Him as numerous as the breaths of His creation. The Lord, within the overarching dominion of the servant, remains Lord; and the servant, within the absolute reality of the Lord, remains a servant.

The Brethren of Purity (Ikhwan al-Sfa):

We say: since man is composed of a corporeal body and a spiritual soul, it is through his spiritual soul that he perceives knowledge, just as it is through his corporeal body that he executes crafts. Since the Soul occupies the middle rank (al-rutbah al-wusta) among existing things,